Thursday, April 03, 2008

10 Questions



Hail Voyagers! We've a special, very special, guest today who's mulled and meditated over the "10 Questions" survey. A gentleman who our readers should be more than familiar with if they're worth their P. Cubensis!

The co-author of what John Peel called: "...to my mind the best popular record that's ever been recorded." (Top Gear, BBC,Nov.8, 1968)"I Can Take You To The Sun"




Fellow psych' fans, please welcome Rick Brown of The Misunderstood!


The story of The Misunderstood is well-documented, bittersweet as it is, by Mike Stax of Ugly Things magazine. (See Issues 20-23.) Also, Rick and Mike have co-authored a new book, Like, Misunderstood, containing information and tales not appearing in the four-part special in the magazine. A movie is also in the works.


Trip Inside This House is honored and hereby presents the answers you're waiting for:

1. In ten words-or less, define "psychedelic music."
Powerful music, using feedback, about spiritual awareness based on Buddhism (Bardo Thodal).

2. What is the most psychedelic instrument, why?
---Steel Guitar because of 9 heavy metal strings with metal slide bar produce amazing sounds, without limits.

3. Favorite psychedelic album of all time?
---R U Experienced by Hendrix, UK version, recorded in 1966. I had an original demo of the whole album given to me by Steve Whiting (our Bass Player) who was friends with Hendrix. I brought the demo back to USA and played it to John Peel (then named John Ravenscroft). Wow!!! Blew his mind!!!


4. Who's your most underrated psychedelic guitarist?
---Glenn Ross Campbell most under-rated/Clapton most over-rated.


5. Who is your favorite member of the Byrds (any era) and why?
Roger, because he's a bloody genius for making rough-voiced Dylan sound like the friggen Hollies (stoned) on glue.

6. What psychedelic album do you wish more people knew about?
---Before the Dream Faded by the Misunderstood


7. What band, active today, most defines "psychedelic" to you?
---The Loons (Mike Stax's band)


8. What album do you consider psychedelic that most people don't; what is about that album for you?
---Jeff Beck's "You Had it Coming" (bloody friggen 'ell!!!)



9. Top Ten Psychedelic Songs?
As defined as those songs which the bands could actually play. The BEST song is Tomorrow Never Knows by the Beatles, but they can't play it live, so I don't count studio-concocted material...

1) Mister You’re A Better Man Than I (Yardbirds)
2) I Can Take U 2 the Sun (Misunderstood)
3) Shapes of Things (Yardbirds)
4) My Mind (Misunderstood)
5) Find the Hidden Door (Misunderstood)
6) Happenings 10 Years Time Ago (Yardbirds)
7) Purple Haze (Hendrix)
8) Nadia (Jeff Beck)
9) Making Time (Creation)
10) East-West (Butterfield Blues Band)



10. Turn the tables, if you'd like, and ask me a question.
---How're you doing, bro!?
valis: Rick, I'm High On A Cloud, to borrow a phrase from a dear friend....

THANK YOU RICK!!! Peace upon you, always, friend...


Bonus Questions:

11. What’s the greatest guitar solo?
The greatest 'lead guitar solo' of all time is Jeff Beck on "Mr You're a Better Man than I", because to this day it has not been matched for intensity, innovation, style, & appropriateness. Apart from its obvious (humanitarian) message the song is a monster because of that bloody amazing solo. Even Beck never played that solo exactly again. He told me he didn't like to cover his own solo because (he thought) people would think that’s ALL he could do. Somehow Jeff thought live listeners wanted MORE than a copy. Jeff once told me he wanted to wear a birdcage on his head with a parrot on a perch shouting "FUCK OFF!!" at the audience. No kidding he was just kidding. No kidding!!!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Holey Moley! Seeing the leader of one of my favorite bands on 10 questions today is a helluva sweet surprise. Props for Mr. Brown for including his own band's work and the ever amazing GRC's guitar work in his praise - no need for false modesty when the work is as timeless and ignored as this. Additional kudos on the bonus question; I was just arguing (and it was an argument rather than a discussion, I'm afraid)with someone the other day about how Beck was the most visionary of the three guitar gods in the Yardbirds because of the concise, wildly creative solos and guitar parts he contributed. I was surprised, however, that Rick didn't mention the Lost Acetates - that cd is tres killer!!!!

gomonkeygo said...

AWESOME! And a Clapton burn, too. When will the world wake up from it's crazy Clapton dream...

Anonymous said...

The Misunderstood rock mightily and that book Rick wrote had me glued to the edge of my seat - unbelievable. Now I'm waiting for the reunion!

Anonymous said...

Absolutely brilliant! These gents were the cream of psych in the time of psych and their work is evidence of just how far that sound could be taken. Kudos!

Jim K.

Anonymous said...

One of the best psychedelic bands of all time, the Misunderstood. Loved the 10 questions. Rick seems like a cool guy. Still need to get my lost acetates cd, I do have the book though and will begin it soon!

Anonymous said...

Goodness, you are keeping fast company. Big fan of the Yardbirds, I see.

Fantastic!
Gnome